Huh...I guess we're not done with the mutants yet! Check out this new item for Aisle 2 as our X-Verse run continues!

We wear these things so people don't know who we are. But I want you to know exactly who I am. My name is Alex Summers. I am a student of Professor Charles Xavier. This team is an embodiment of his simple dream of all people working together. A fight more important now than ever. Recently the world saw my brother Scott infused with the power of a God. And while he tried to make a lasting change to fix what he saw as broken, no man should ever unilaterally take action or choose for so many. It is hubris. I never quite saw things as my brother did, and later our views diverged even further. I don't see myself as being born into a mutant cult or religion. Having an X-Gene doesn't bond me to anyone. It doesn't define me. In fact, I see the very word "mutant" as divisive. Old thinking that serves to further separate us from our fellow man. We are all humans. Of one tribe. We are defined by our choices, not the makeup of our genes. So please, don't call us mutants. The "M" word represents everything I hate... How about [calling me] Alex? - Havok

COMPLICATIONS:Accident: Havok has often had trouble controlling his powers without his containment suit.Enemy: His brother Gabriel Summers, known as Vulcan.Power Loss: Havok's powers are dependent upon absorbing ambient cosmic radiation. Prolonged periods in the dark, or extensive use of his powers, can leave him drained or without a way to recharge.Prejudice: Mutant.Relationships: He's been in a long-term on-and-off relationship with Polaris.Responsibility: Xavier's Dream.Rivalry: With his brother, Scott Summers, Cyclops.

Build Comments: Havok has always been a fave of mine, probably because of his “so bad it’s good” costume.

Secret Origins: Alexander Summers is the son of Major Christopher Summers, a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and his wife Katherine Ann Summers. His older brother is Scott Summers. Both are mutants.

When Scott and Alex were boys flying home from a family vacation in their father's vintage private plane, a scout ship from the alien Shi'ar Empire suddenly materialized and set the plane ablaze. Katherine pushed Scott and Alex out the plane door with the only available parachute. The parachute caught fire, so Scott used his mutant optic blasts for the first time to slow their descent. Scott and Alex were unaware that their parents had been teleported from the plane by the Shi'ar a moment before it exploded.

Scott suffered a head injury on landing that damaged the part of Scott's brain that would have enabled him to control his optic blasts. The two boys were hospitalized and both suffered traumatic amnesia regarding the incident.

They left the hospital after two weeks and were placed in the State Home for Foundlings, an orphanage in Omaha, Nebraska and were subjected to a battery of tests and experiments by the orphanage's owner, Mr. Milbury, an alias for the evil geneticist and their future enemy Mr. Sinister. Sinister believed that Scott was the Summers brother with the most potential, so he had Alex adopted to separate them and render Scott emotionally vulnerable.

The Story so Far: Alex had little or no contact with Scott until years later. Alex was raised by Andrew and Joanna Blanding, whose son Todd had been killed in a car accident. Alex was pressured to act as a replacement Todd, which he tried to do as best as he could.

When Todd's killer Vincent kidnapped Alex and his foster sister, Haley Blanding, Alex manifested his mutant powers for the first time, incinerating Vincent. Mister Sinister appeared, quite surprised to find that Alex’s potential possibly exceeded Scott's. Unfortunately, Alex lacked any control over his powers. Sinister placed psi-blocks on both Alex and Haley, causing them to forget everything that happened that night.

The immortal mutant Apocalypse encountered the non-mutant variant Ahmet Abdol and deemed him to be a broken, beaten man of great potential but without direction. Apocalypse acquired a sample of Alex Summers' DNA, insuring that its coding had been modified for his purposes, and had Sinister graft it to Abdol. The experiment was only partially successful and resulted in an unexpected and quite unusual symbiotic relationship wherein Abdol's power was split between them and not shared. Deciding to use his powers for his own personal gain, Abdol created a cult around himself as messiah, the Cult of the Living Pharaoh, became a super-villain and set about his plan to rule the world.

Alex grew into an adult unaware of his brother's developing mutant power or his identity as Cyclops, leader of the X-Men, until after Alex graduated from Old Landon College's geophysical studies. Ahmet Abdol, then a professor of archaeology, discovered a psychic link between himself and Alex. While both of them possessed the latent mutant power to absorb and transform cosmic radiation, Abdol's ability to exercise the power was jammed in an unknown manner by Alex' body. Abdol captured Alex and took him to his laboratory in Egypt.

Abdol found a way to screen Summers' body from ambient cosmic radiation, permitting his own body to attain its latent potential. Abdol was transformed into the Living Monolith, a gigantic mutant with vast cosmic power. The Monolith was defeated while in combat with the X-Men when Alex's latent mutant powers surfaced under the stress of entombment within the mechanism designed to screen him from cosmic radiation.

Incapable of controlling the shock waves his body emanated, Summers chose to remain in the Egyptian desert, rather than accompany the X-Men back to America. Summers was soon captured by one of the mutant-hunting robotic Sentinels and brought to the headquarters of Larry Trask, the son of the Sentinels' inventor, Dr. Bolivar Trask. Trask gave Summers the codename Havok and a costume, whose chest display monitored the build-up of cosmic energy within him. When the X-Men finally freed Trask's captive mutants, Havok was severely injured.

The X-Men took Havok to Dr. Karl Lykos for treatment. Lykos tried to drain Havok's lifeforce to feed his own vampiric urges. Havok's mutant energy triggered his transformation into Sauron, a pterodactyl energy vampire. The X-Men battled with Sauron and stopped him from further leeching off Havok.

Alex accompanied his brother and his teammates back to the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where he began training to help him keep his energy in check. Havok gained enough mastery over his power that he could release it only when he wished to do so, as opposed to when he was near death, and could wield his power skillfully enough to become a formidable opponent in battle.

Havok has many adventures with the X-Men and X-Factor over the years and learned that his long lost father had become a space pirate called Corsair. He also began a long off and on relationship with Lorna Dane, the mutant magnetic controller known as Polaris.

Years later, Alex's long lost brother Vulcan returned from his space exile to reclaim his title as an X-Man, killing Banshee in the process. After it was revealed Xavier had deceived the X-Men by keeping Vulcan's existence a secret, the X-Men attacked him as they deemed him too dangerous to be left alone. Vulcan easily repelled their attack and fled the planet, renouncing Cyclops as his brother, and headed for space, bent on revenge on the Shi'ar empire for killing his mother.

Havok was recruited by Professor X, along with Marvel Girl, Nightcrawler, Warpath, Darwin and Polaris to participate in a space mission to stop Vulcan from unleashing his powers on the Shi'ar empire. Alex witnessed Vulcan murder their father. Alex, Lorna, and Rachel Summers stayed in space, joining the Starjammers to lead the resistance against Vulcan and his wife, Deathbird, who had conquered the Shi'ar Empire. The civil war between Vulcan's forces and those loyal to the dethroned Lilandra raged on, led by Alex and the Starjammers. After many a pitched battle, Lilandra’s death and their capture and escape from Vulcan’s forces, they were able to turn the tide before the Vulcan’s reign ended during the War of Kings.

After returning to Earth Havok joined X-Factor Investigations after the X-Men underwent their Schism on behalf of Wolverine. After Jamie Madrox's apparent death, Wolverine suggested that Havok and Polaris take over leadership of X-Factor Investigations. After Jamie's return from death, he and Alex agreed to share leadership with Alex taking the lead on missions from Valerie Cooper and Wolverine and Jamie taking the lead on the rest.

Havok joined the conflict between the Avengers and the X-Men on the side of his fellow mutants. After the last two Phoenixes, Cyclops and Emma Frost, began to lose control, Havok and many other X-Men joined the Avengers in attempting to defeat them. Cyclops later defeated Emma in order to absorb the whole Phoenix Force and become the Dark Phoenix, but was finally defeated and incarcerated.

At the end of the war, Captain America realized that the Avengers had stood by and allowed the world to hate mutants and that they should have done more to help them. As a result, he formed a new team of Avengers in hopes of unifying mutant and humankind. He chose Havok to lead his team and become the new face to represent mutants as Professor X and Cyclops once were.

Characterization: Alex has become a strong leader and hero over the years after initially being plagued with angst and self-doubt.

Friends and Foes: Although they have had many differences over the years, he remains close to his brother Scott. His long time love has been Lorna Dane but they are currently not involved.

COMPLICATIONS:Enemy: Apocalypse, Stryfe, Bishop for a while.Man out of Time: Sometimes Nate has problems dealing with being in the past that could shape his future.Obsession: Preventing the future mutant holocaust.Prejudice: Mutant.Relationships: He has a father/daughter relationship with Hope Summers, he is getting closer to his father, Scott Summers and he is close to his original New Mutants/X-Force charges, especially Cannonball. Oh, and Deadpool…most of the time…

Build Comments: I was pleased with Josh Brolin’s Cable Deadpool 2. It would have been nice if they found someone bigger but Hugh Jackman being a tall Wolverine went pretty well so I guess you don’t always have to be completely true to the comics. But Brolin nailed the intensity and grumpiness that belied his caring nature so I dug it.

My concern is that we’re going to get another Cable push in the comics and as much as I dig him, I kinda feel like the character has run his course in the main Marvel U.

Secret Origins: Nathan Christopher Charles Summers' destiny was planned before his parents even met. Geneticist Mr. Sinister found that a union between the X-Men Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) would produce a powerful genetically superior mutant. Sinister hoped he could control such a mutant and use it to defeat his immortal adversary Apocalypse.

Around this time Jean's form and consciousness was replaced by the reckless cosmic Phoenix Force while she healed from radiation poison in a cocoon at the bottom of Jamaica Bay. Sinister created a clone of Jean and named her Madelyne Pryor. Sinister's plan was to produce the child he needed from the union of Madelyne and Scott. Sinister considered his clone a failure until a spark from the Phoenix Force granted Madelyne a life force and some of Jean's memories. Sinister crafted a false background for her and arranged for her to meet Scott as a pilot for Scott's grandparents. Scott was instantly drawn to Madelyne because she strongly resembled his true love, Jean. They quickly married. Madelyne later became pregnant and had a son who she named Nathan Christopher Charles Summers—"Nathan" from an implanted suggestion by Mister Sinister in Madelyne, "Christopher" from Scott's father, and "Charles" from Scott's father-figure.

The Story so Far: Before he became Cable, he was the infant son of Cyclops and was sent into the future for protection. As a child, Cable possessed a mild form of psionic abilities.

Later, Cable appeared as a man with mysterious roots. He first led everyone to believe that he was simply a man with cyborg parts. This characterization slowly changed into that of a mutant with robot parts. His character finally evolved into the child that Cyclops had sent into the future, revealing him as a mutant with techno-organic parts.

He led the New Mutants and X-Force for a while, generally distancing themselves from the X-Men but assisting them from time to time.

The release of the Legacy Virus cure weakened the techno-organic virus. However Cable, now calling himself Soldier X, largely held back the use of his increased powers fearing they would become uncontrollable. The virus eventually repaired and reduplicated itself.

Cable then achieved the peak of his powers. Knowing this could not last long before he burned out as X-Man almost did at those power levels, he arranged for what he thought would be the best thing he could do in his last days. Attempting to unite the world, Cable gathered the missing pieces of his long-destroyed space station, Graymalkin, from across the globe to telekinetically create the floating island of Providence above the South Pacific Ocean. Cable also restored a variation of his time displacement core, TDC, the teleport matrix, which enabled him to teleport around the world. Although, forgetting that they had merged on a genetic level, meant that the teleportation matrix on board registered Cable and Deadpool as one and they would teleport merged together, unless they remembered to body-slide by two. Cable accepted anyone and everyone to live in his separate floating island. Several thousand of the world's greatest minds, from scientists to philosophers, philanthropists to writers, accepted Cable's invitation. Cable attempted to bring peaceful Clan Askani solutions to his people.

Although his intentions were just, the governments of the world and S.H.I.E.L.D. grew wary. S.H.I.E.L.D. first sent a new team of Six Pack, to aggressively reconnoiter Providence, but Cable showed them the city and offered them to stay. After Cable teleported to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and demanded the governments of the world destroy their arms, the American government sent jets and fired two hundred and forty-seven missiles, which Cable stopped with a telekinetic shield and funneled out of Earth's atmosphere. Meanwhile, Cable, hired Deadpool to put together the pieces of a mini-teleporter that they could use to stop him, without quite knowing what it was. Next, the X-Men were sent, but after Cable spoke with his father, the battle stopped. Cable confessed to Cyclops, after Deadpool had declined to play his role and disable him, that he'd wanted him to kill him and that he knew he was about to burn out. Cable stated that he wanted to set an example of how the world could work together, even if it was against him. At that moment, Fury contacted Mr. Fantastic and asked the Silver Surfer to stop Cable. The battle between Cable and the Silver Surfer vaporized sections of Providence, but they put it back together at the same time. After the Surfer blasted much of Cable's left side off, Providence began to fall. As Providence prepared to crash into the ocean, Deadpool teleported Cable to Safehouse 14 and, at his prompting, used the teleporter to lobotomize him. Marvel Girl began to lower the island, but Cable regained control and lowered the island into the ocean and give a final message to the world.

While he was left in a coma and with many people around the globe now referring to him as "the Savior" and applications to immigrate to Providence going through the roof, Deadpool hired the Fixer to bond benign techno-organic mesh to Cable, saving him although he remains hugely depowered.

Cable rejoined the X-Men as part of a new team that consisted of Rogue, Iceman (Bobby Drake), Cannonball, Sabretooth, and Mystique. Cable seemingly died when Gambit and Sunfire detonated Providence.

After losing those powers, he dubbed himself the protector of Hope Summers and took her into the future for protection.

Cable actually survived, and resurfaced in possession of the first mutant baby girl to be born after M-Day. The X-Men, Marauders, and Purifiers had been seeking the child. This put Cable in conflict with Bishop, the X-Men, and the new X-Force. In the end Cable convinced Cyclops to allow him to take the baby into the future. Even in the future Bishop was able to track them down, but Cable escaped with the help from a future Sam Guthrie.

After many adventures, when the now teenaged Hope wanted to return to the past, Cable reluctantly agreed. They managed to make it back to the present, only to be attacked by Bastion's Human Council. Hope escaped with Rogue, and Cable fought alongside the X-Men once more.

Cable later seemingly sacrificed his life to bring Wolverine and his X-Force team (Archangel, Cypher, X-23 and Domino) to San Francisco in year 2010 by stepping into the time portal that Bastion was using to send his Nimrod Class Sentinels to the aforementioned year and finally allowing his techno-organic virus to finally and fully infect him.

But in fact, Cable escaped into the future, where he met Blaquesmith, who told him that the world collapsed because the Avengers had killed Hope. Together they went to the Avengers Mansion where they found much anti-mutant technology. They then returned to the present in order to hunt the Avengers before the virus finally consumed him. Although he managed to defeat several Avengers, he was eventually taken down and brought to Utopia by Cyclops. After recovering, he created a new X-Force team.

Characterization: Cable is a kind of antihero—a cryptic, Man with No Name of mutantkind. He’s an often conflicted but supremely dangerous soldier.

Friends and Foes: He has reconciled with his father, Scott Summers and loves Hope like a daughter. He is also close to his original X-Force/New Mutant protégés, particularly Cannonball.

I love how the big attempt at putting Havok over as a big new name as a mutant hero pretty much died the second Rick Remender left that Avengers book- Havok turned evil like right away and unlike everyone else in that Axis story, he NEVER TURNED BACK, thus turning him into a forgettable nothing... right when Cyclops died, which could have left him as the "New Mutant Leader". Oh, COMICS.

COMPLICATIONS:Enemy: Kyle Rayner.Motivation: Power and eventually taking over his father's throne as Lord of Apokolips.Responsibility: To the Universal Church of Truth.Vulnerable: All of the New Gods are vulnerable to Radion.

Build Comments: Grayven is one of Darkseid’s illegitimate children who inherited a lot of his father’s abilities, including his Omega Effect, albeit to a lesser degree. He rumbled with Kyle Rayner a lot in the 90’s, then pretty much disappeared until the Death of the New Gods arch, when he popped up again, only get killed. To my knowledge he hasn't been seen in the New 52/Rebirth.

Secret Origins: Grayven is the third son of Darkseid, born of an unknown mother, younger brother to Kalibak and Orion.

The Story so Far: Grayven leads a campaign of destruction against the cosmos, destroying planets to prove his power and gain the attention of his father, Darkseid. He leads a campaign against the Nova Corps, a galactic police force, killing many of their number. His campaign comes to an end on the planet Rann. He desires a zeta beam device, a product of Rannian science that provides instantaneous transportation on a grand scale. He intends to zeta beam his forces onto Apokolips, announce his presence to his father, and conquer the planet.

While the several Nova Corpsmen engaged Gravyen's army, Nova Richard Rider and Green Lantern Kyle Rayner face off against the man himself. Despite the rivalry between the two Corps and Corpsmen, Richard and Kyle work as a team and Kyle tricks Grayven into a Zeta Beam device, where he is teleported off Rann. Lacking their leader, Grayven's forces retreated. Unknown to Rider, Rayner had inadvertently teleported Grayven deep within Earth's core. He eventually digs himself out, and seeks Rayner in New York City, who is seemingly able to overpower Grayven. Fearing defeat at the Green Lantern's hands, Grayven used an experimental teleporter, freeing himself, and in the process, sending Rayner into the 30th century.

Rayner was able to return to the present with the assistance of the Legion of Super-Heroes and the two have squared off several times since. Nova and Grayven have engaged in battle several times as well. Grayven’s last defeat against Nova came with the assistance of Squirrel Girl, which sent Grayven into a mental tailspin. At his lowest ebbe and considering suicide, he was found by Cardinal Raker and inducted into the Universal Church of Truth where he has risen to a position among The Magus’ most favored, and powerful followers.

Characterization: Grayven is his father’s son. Arrogant, powerful and bent on conquering the cosmos.

Friends and Foes: He has a great hatred of Kyle Rayner and The Lantern Corps in general. He has an nearly equal hatred for Orion, who he sees as his rival for his father’s approval and Richard Rider, who has bested him in battle several times.

Build Comments: One of Darkseid’s Elite who doesn’t get a whole lot of in the comics outside of Mister Miracle’s series, Kanto. He’s Darkseid’s elite assassin but doesn’t seem to be sent to kill anyone of note that I’ve ever seen in my 40+ years of reading comics.

AND I unless I missed something on the old ATT, I think I am the first person to stat him. I think he was too DC jobbery for even Jab to stat him.

Secret Origins/ The Story so Far: Once a student of Granny Goodness named Iluthin, Kanto was accused of stealing weaponry from Darkseid's then-master assassin Kanto-13. Against the request of Kanto-13, young Iluthin was exiled from Apokolips to Earth during the Renaissance period. There, he trained under Italian teachers, and fell in love with a woman named Claudia. But Kanto 13 tracked him to Earth, and at the wedding altar, Kanto-13 attacked them, and killed his bride Claudia. Iluthin and Kanto 13 battled, and in the end Darkseid's assassin was defeated. Darkseid himself came to Earth and destroyed Kanto-13 for failure, and Iluthin returned to Apokolips as Darkseid's new assassin.

When Mister Miracle came back to Apokolips, Kanto was one of the obstacles that he faced.

Characterization: Kanto dresses in a quasi-Renaissance fashion, possibly to imply both royal court intrigue, and the artistic pride that he had in his assassin's work.

Huh...I guess we're not done with the mutants yet! Check out this new item for Aisle 2 as our X-Verse run continues!

We wear these things so people don't know who we are. But I want you to know exactly who I am. My name is Alex Summers. I am a student of Professor Charles Xavier. This team is an embodiment of his simple dream of all people working together. A fight more important now than ever. Recently the world saw my brother Scott infused with the power of a God. And while he tried to make a lasting change to fix what he saw as broken, no man should ever unilaterally take action or choose for so many. It is hubris. I never quite saw things as my brother did, and later our views diverged even further. I don't see myself as being born into a mutant cult or religion. Having an X-Gene doesn't bond me to anyone. It doesn't define me. In fact, I see the very word "mutant" as divisive. Old thinking that serves to further separate us from our fellow man. We are all humans. Of one tribe. We are defined by our choices, not the makeup of our genes. So please, don't call us mutants. The "M" word represents everything I hate... How about [calling me] Alex? - Havok

X-Factor was the first comic I ever read. Peter David's run. We didn't have a lot of money growing up and my mom would save up to order our Christmas presents out of the JC Penny catalogue every year. Back then JC Penny would sell a box of 25 randomized comics for like $15 and my mom would get me that every year. The first year she got me that the first issue of Peter David's X-Factor was at the very top of the box. Havoc was the first Summers boy I knew, for a young ClassDunce he was the leader of the X-Men lol. This was my X-Men as strange as that sounds. Strong Guy and Multiple Man were my Beast and Iceman, Polaris was Jean Grey and Wolfsbane my Woverine. As I got older Strong Guy became my favorite but young ClassDunce was a Havoc fan. There was something just so cool about him. Everything from his powers to his costume and that early costume! I loved the flared out collar and the leather jacket. It is still one of my top ten costumes of all times even if it's just so damned dated.

The first time I saw Havok was a Marvel Team-Up book where he, Spidey and eventually Thor took on the Living Monolith. I loved his costume immediately. I never read much X-Factor but I've been an Alex fan ever since.

Made a few tweaks to Thor. Changed Mjolnir to have bludgeoning/slashing like Stormbreaker from Infinity War or Ultimate Thor's Mjolnir.

And I added a pic of Chris Hemsworth as Thor because it rocks. I've said it before, but out of all the MCU casting, I think Hemsworth as Thor was probably the best, even over Downey as Iron Man. His charisma has taken Thor to new heights in the overall public consciousness.

COMPLICATIONS:Arrogance: His power and status sometimes make him underestimate his opponents or get him into situations that could have been avoided.Enemy: Loki, Midgard Serpent and the Fenris Wolf are his greatest foes, but he has acquired many enemies over the millennia.Relationships: Jane Foster, his father Odin, mother Frigga, The Warriors Three and Sif, sometimes Loki.Responsibility: To protect and defend Asgard and the mortal world, Midgard.Rivalry: He has a long running, and mostly friendly, rivalry with Hercules.

Build Comments: The Mighty Thor, given a new, shiny new rebuild. Not a lot of changes but some tweaks here and there and a little trimming of fat points-wise. I need to test him again for sure. Sending him up against Lobo was a lot of fun over at the old ATT. I’ll have to find someone new for him to rumble with once I get more of the builds over here. Or heck, maybe the Main Man will get a rematch.

Secret Origins: The Ragnarok cycle of Earth -0 created numerous versions of Thor's origin story, and the fact that Asgard was a place of myth did not help matters when trying to keep track of all of the different stories and personalized descriptions of events. What is known is that Thor is the blood-son of Odin, All-Father of the Asgardians. It is believed that his birthmother is Jord, who was also known as Gaea, the goddess who was one of the Elder Gods. Odin sought to father a son whose power would derive from both Asgard and Midgard, and hence he sought to mate with Jord.

Odin created a cave in Norway where Jord gave birth to Thor. Months after the infant Thor was weaned, Odin brought him to Asgard to be raised. Odin's wife, the goddess Frigga, acted as Thor's mother from that time onward. Not until many decades later did Thor learn that Jord was his birth mother.

The young Thor was raised alongside Loki, who had been adopted by Odin after Loki's Frost Giant father Laufey had been killed in battle. For all of their childhood, Loki was jealous of Thor. Loki's jealousy, which grew to hatred, resulted in a desire to kill Thor. Thus began Loki's enmity for Thor, which persisted for centuries.

The Story so Far: Thor led an active, adventurous life in Asgard, doing battle with Frost Giants and other enemies of the Golden realm. He became Asgard’s greatest warrior and became legendary throughout the Nine Realms. However, Odin watched Thor become more and more arrogant, and tried several times to teach him humility. Over the years, Odin grew increasingly dissatisfied with Thor's headstrong behavior and excessive pride. On one occasion Thor violated a truce between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants, thereby nearly starting another war. Finally, while Thor was engaged in a brawl in an Asgardian tavern, Odin summoned him to his presence.

Odin decided that it was time Thor truly learned humility. Odin had Thor surrender his hammer, Mjolnir, to him, and then sent him to Earth in the mortal guise of a crippled young medical student named Donald Blake, stripped of his memory of his true identity. As Blake, Thor learned the value of humble perseverance in dealing with his injured leg, and he came to care for the sick and dying, first as a medical student, and later as a successful physician. After leaving medical school, Blake opened a private practice in New York, and quickly gained renown as a great surgeon.

After Thor had spent ten years in the role of Blake, Odin planted within Blake's mind the suggestion to take a vacation in Norway. There Blake encountered a party of alien Kronans, also known as the Stone Men from Saturn. Blake fled from the Kronans into a cavern, the very same one that had served as Thor's birthplace millennia ago, where Odin had left Thor's hammer in the enchanted form of a wooden cane. Trapped in the cavern by a great boulder, Blake struck the boulder with the cane in frustrated anger, and was transformed back into his true godly form of Thor. As Thor he escaped the cavern and drove off the Kronans.

At first Thor still had no memory of his past life as an Asgardian god, although as months passed, more of his memories returned. Finally, a few years later, Odin revealed to him the false nature of the Blake identity and the reason for it. Thor maintained his Blake identity on Earth and continued his medical practice. Part of his affinity for Earth was his subconscious realization that his maternal heritage was of this world. The other part was simply his love for humanity and his need to experience those things that only mortals could know. Thor came to divide his time between Earth and Asgard, and does so to this day.

After many more adventurers, Thor became unworthy of the hammer once again and Jane Foster became the new Thor. After becoming worthy again, Thor took up the Mjolnir from the fallen Thor of Earth-218, allowing Jane Foster to continue using his original hammer so that she could protect Midgard and Thor Odinson would serve the Ten Realms and cosmos as a whole.

Characterization: Thor has mellowed over the millennia, but still possesses a fierce pride and has never, and will never, hesitate to go into battle. He is loyal and honorable and one of the greatest heroes in the universe.

Friends and Foes: He has many allies and foes in the Nine Realms and beyond. To list some, he is close to his family and the Asgardian people. He is closest with Balder, Sif, The Warriors Three and Heimdall. He has several close friends in the superhero community including Superman, Captain America, Bruce Banner and Wonder Woman. He has a centuries old friendly (mostly) rivaly with fellow god Hercules.

His greatest rival has been his brother, Loki, who has attempted to kill, embarrass or discredit Thor on countless times over the centuries. He also has great enemies in the Midgard Serpent and Fenris Wolf.

The first time I saw Havok was a Marvel Team-Up book where he, Spidey and eventually Thor took on the Living Monolith. I loved his costume immediately. I never read much X-Factor but I've been an Alex fan ever since.

COMPLICATIONS:Enemy: Having escaped from Apokolips, he has made enemies of Darkseid and his Elite, particularly Granny Goodness.Let Freedom Ring!: Scott believes in freedom for all and will always fight for it for himself and others.Relationships: He dearly loves his wife Barda, and is close to his manager, Oberon.Vulnerable: All New Gods are vulnerable to Radion.

Build Comments: I don’t know why, but I have always liked Mister Miracle. He’s kind of a one-trick pony, but it’s a pretty good trick, being the world’s, if not the universe’s, greatest escape artist. And come on, Scott Free is one of the greatest names for an escape artist you could ever come up with.

Secret Origins: Mister Miracle was Scott Free, the god of escape in the New Gods mythology. Originally, the boy Scott Free was the son of Highfather Izaya, the ruler of New Genesis. However, as part of a diplomatic move to stop a destructive war against the planet Apokolips, Highfather agreed to an exchange of children with his enemy Darkseid. In doing so, he surrendered Scott Free to the care of his enemy while he received his enemy's son, Orion.

For years, Scott Free grew up in the care of Granny Goodness, a sadistic minion of Darkseid who oversaw the training of Darkseid's forces with inhuman intensity. As he matured, Scott learned that he had a natural talent for escaping and overcoming seemingly impossible traps. His talent and his love for freedom were furthered by Himon, a natural troublemaker and the one god whom Darkseid's forces weren't able to capture. Scott refused to be hardened by the planet's cruel abuse and kept his innocence and hope in the midst of such darkness. He fell in love with Big Barda, a warrior who was leader of an elite squad of woman warriors known as the Female Furies; she in turn was won over by his innocence and goodness, and later married him.

Eventually, Scott Free escaped and fled to Earth.

The Story so Far: Once there, he became the protégé of a circus escape artist, Thaddeus Brown, whose stage name was Mister Miracle. Brown was impressed with Scott's skills (especially as supplemented with various advanced devices he had taken from his previous home). Scott also befriended Brown's assistant, a dwarf named Oberon. When Thaddeus Brown was murdered, Scott Free assumed the identity of Mister Miracle. Barda later followed Scott to Earh, and the two used their powers, equipment, and skills in the war against Darkseid, who was still interested in recapturing both of them. Unknown to Darkseid, Scott eventually acquired the complete Anti-Life Equation, Darkseid's ultimate desire. However, his will was strong enough to resist the temptation to use it.

On Earth, the two have often accompanied Orion, and all 3 have served on the Justice League.

Characterization: Scott is the world’s premier escape artist but his greatest ability is his ability to spread hope and goodwill despite his torturous early life on Apokolips.

Friends and Foes: He dearly loves his wife, Barda, and is close to his manager, Oberon.

Our shipment from Apokolips has lots more stuff. So much, that it looks like we've got enough new merchandise for a LADIES' NIGHT! Check out this J-Mart Favorite Item that is kicking it off on Aisle 1!

I'm not so bad. A little rough, maybe -- but once you get to know me -- I can be a real pussycat. - Big Barda

COMPLICATIONS:Enemy: Upon her defection from Apokolips, she has been considered a traitor by Granny Goodness and even Darkseid himself.Motivation: Barda wants to live a normal life on Earth as good housewife, and potential mother, with her husband Scott Free. However, she also feels responsible to use her abilities for the common good.Relationships: With the love of her life, Scott Free, and she is close to (though it's a generally antagonistic relationship) Scott's manager, Oberon.Vulnerable: All the New Gods are vulnerable to Radion.

Build Comments: I always liked Big Barda and the fact that when Jack Kirby created her, and matched her up with Mister Miracle it was kind of a joke about his relationship with his wife, Roz. Nothing like having an outlet like comics to mess with your spouse.

He also based her appearance on Lainie Kazan, who apparently had just posed in Playboy while he was working on Barda. Many of you might know her as the mom in My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding or some other guest spots on TV shows. Now she’s a matronly Jewish grandmother but Google some pics of her when she was young…geez, she was hot.

Secret Origins: Barda was born of the race of New Gods about 250 years ago, on Apokolips. She is a product of Granny Goodness' Home for Orphaned Youth. Granny's motto is "Die for Darkseid". Granny groomed Barda to one day lead the Female Fury Battalion, a ferocious pack of women warriors.

The Story so Far: However, during a raid Barda met Scott Free, Darkseid's adopted son, and, sensing a peace about him, fell in love. Barda risked her own safety to help Scott escape from Apokolips. Eventually, Barda turns her back on Granny, and comes to Earth herself. Scott had become an escape artist called Mister Miracle, and was teamed with Oberon, his diminutive manager. Scott and Barda were married by Scott's father, the Highfather of New Genesis.

For a number of years, Barda followed Scott and Oberon on tour. Eventually they retired as superheroes and move to Bailey, New Hampshire. However, despite their best attempts, a normal life eludes them. Disasters plagued them; Barda, Scott, and Oberon left Bailey and moved to a loft in Greenwich Village, New York City. Barda formed a defense-training program for women called the New Female Furies.

Though naive regarding Earth customs, Barda relished her roles of wife and housekeeper. However, when duty calls she never hesitates to assume the posture of a warrior, and when Scott joineds the Justice League, Barda participates in several missions. Barda has also served as a member of the JL in her own right: at Takion's order, she and fellow New God Orion were sent as agents of New Genesis to serve on the team as he had predicted that the Earth faced a grave threat. Their mission was to help mobilize Earth's heroes against the omnipotent Mageddon. Once Mageddon was defeated, Barda and Orion resigned from the JL.

Barda accompanies Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman to Apokolips to rescue Supergirl from Darkseid's clutches, and accepted an invitation from Oracle to become the heavy-hitter on the Birds of Prey.

Barda and Scott continue to reside in the suburbs of Connecticut and are active adventurers. Barda never hesitates to lend a hand to her friends when her power and expertise are needed.

Characterization: In a reversal of the stereotype associated with female characters at the time of her creation, Barda is physically more powerful than her husband, is more than willing to use her strength in battle, and is very protective of her husband.

Friends and Foes: She and the love of her life, Scott Free, are practically inseparable. She and Oberon have antagonistic relationship, but deep down are very close. She is good friends with Superman, Wonder Woman and Lady Sif, who shares her warrior’s spirit.

We're rolling on with this LADIES' NIGHT APOKOLIPS! We've got a long time member of our Villains' Line hitting the Aisle 1 shelves!

Tell me, little worm -- do they regard you as someone strong, someone nasty, in your own world? This is not your world. This is where darkness, where cruelty and power, are all born. You aren't "nasty," little worm -- you're only human. We are gods. We don't aspire to cruelty, we are cruelty! - Granny Goodness

Build Comments: I love Granny Goodness. She has been nightmare fuel for me for years, especially in the old Justice League series where Ed Asner does her voice. Something about someone that cronish throwing out the sweet Granny lines while she trains people to be killers has always just creeped me out.

Secret Origins: Granny Goodness did not begin as one of the higher-level residents of Apokolips, but was instead one of the "Lowlies" - the brutally-oppressed peasant class. She was removed from her parents and trained to be one of Darkseid's "Hounds" (his elite soldiers). One part of their training was to train their dog; Goodness named hers Mercy. Through combat and training, the two bonded. As the final step of her initiation into life as a Hound, she was told to kill her beloved pet. Instead, she killed her trainer for ordering this. When Darkseid asked why, she answered that "to have done otherwise would have robbed my lord of a most valuable asset," telling him that Mercy would obey her first, but him foremost. Testing this, Darkseid ordered Mercy to kill Goodness. Mercy attacked Goodness, forcing Goodness to kill her pet. Darkseid was impressed, telling Goodness that she had graduated with honors. "You have trained Mercy so well in my name that perhaps you'll do as well training others whose blind obedience I will one day require."

The Story so Far: Darkseid had Granny run the training facility for his elite soldiers, where she uses brainwashing and torture, in a brutal parody of child care, to turn the innocent into fanatical warriors willing to kill or die for Darkseid's glory. Since the war between Apokolips and New Genesis first moved to Earth, Granny Goodness has often run Earthly orphanages, looking for potential warriors for Darkseid.

Granny runs the "orphanage" on Apokolips and is the chief of the Female Furies. She also raised Scott Free, the son of Highfather of New Genesis who had been traded for Darkseid's son as part of a peace treaty. Scott Free (a.k.a. Mister Miracle) became the first child to successfully escape one of her Orphanages.

Friends and Foes: Granny has a great desire to return Big Barda to her Furies and to capture Scott Free again.

Build Comments: I thought Gilotina was a nice addition to the Furies, even if she was mostly fanservice.

Secret Origins/The Story so Far: A member of the original group of Female Furies, Gilotina was later bumped to a junior member and worked with the other younger members of the group: Malice Vundabar, Speed Queen, and Bloody Mary. Gilotina had the ability to chop through anything with her hands, hence the name, but is armed with battle swords. She was eventually abandoned by the Furies after a failed mission, and joined Project Cadmus. A short time later she rejoined the Furies.

Rejoining the Furies she was able to rise in their ranks. As field leader of a team of Furies, Gilotina was put in charge of testing a new potential recruit named Precious. She and the Furies battled Precious, but Precious proved unworthy and was quickly slain. After the abduction of Supergirl, Gilotina led a team of Furies into battle against former leader Big Barda and her ally Wonder Woman. After their defeat it is unknown what became of her team of Furies.

Build Comments: Of all the Furies (not counting Barda and Knockout), Lashina has gotten the most run outside of pure New Gods stuff. She did a stint with the Suicide Squad and if memory serves, she even got a bit of feature in a DC Super Hero Girls episode.

She generally splits leader duties with Bernadeth, with Bernadeth being their leader in non-combat and Lashina serving as the field leader.

Secret Origins/The Story so Far: Lashina was raised a warrior in Granny Goodness's orphanage, and took over leadership of the Female Furies when Big Barda leaves Apokolips for Earth. Though the Furies initially stayed on Earth to aid Big Barda and her lover, Mister Miracle, they soon returned to Apokolips to take their punishment for their betrayal of Darkseid. Lashina is then given leadership over the Female Furies by Darkseid, much to fellow Fury Bernadeth's annoyance.

During a mission to capture Glorious Godfrey, a New God that had been imprisoned on Earth, Lashina was betrayed by Bernadeth as the Female Furies were escaping through a boom tube. Caught in an explosion, Lashina is sent flying into the swamp surrounding Belle Reve Penitentiary. Surviving the blast, she remained in the swamp until an opportunity to save an injured member of the Suicide Squad, a United States government agency that uses super-powered beings to fulfill black ops missions, presents itself. Using the opportunity to ingratiate herself with the team and claiming to be suffering from amnesia, Amanda Waller allowed her to join. Quickly dubbed Duchess by the support staff due to her haughty demeanor, she became a critical part of the Squad and participated in almost every one of the team's missions during her time as a member. Eventually, she engineered a return to Apokolips and convinced many members of the Squad to come with her, while others she outright kidnapped. The plan ended in a battle against Apokolips forces once the group lands on the planet's surface. Multiple Squad members were killed, including Doctor Light. During the battle, Lashina confronted and killed Bernadeth. Darkseid, furious that Lashina has brought humans to Apokolips, revived Bernadeth and killed Lashina with his omega beams. The survivors of the Suicide Squad were allowed to return home.

Lashina was later resurrected by Darkseid and sent with the Furies on another mission to retrieve Mister Miracle, but he escaped.

Sharing leadership with Bernadeth, Lashina often served as the field leader of the Furies, while Bernadeth led them out of the battlefield. Lashina has since battled Young Justice, the Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman. She is also a long-time enemy of Superman and his compatriots Superboy and Supergirl. In recent appearances she has been seen battling Firestorm, Orion and Hawkgirl.